Porous Paving: Geo-Cells

More wonderful materials from Azure Magazine to deal with water run-off- Geo-cells. These are open-grid plastic systems that are filled with gravel or grassy turf. They support the weight of vehicles but let the water run through easily.

Grasspave from the appropriately names Invisible Structures, is a plastic mat that is rolled out onto a prepared bed, filled with appropriate landscaping, and you let it grow. Doesn't look like it, but it can hold up firetrucks. "Grasspave2 porous paving allows you to park, drive, walk, ride, or lounge on a beautiful grass surface. It performs the functions of asphalt or concrete pavement, but with the aesthetics of a lawn – all while enhancing the environment." They also make Gravelpave that can be used for commercial parking lots.

Gridtech makes Netlon Advanced Turf, which "consists of a specially prepared rootzone into which is blended thousands of small interlocking mesh elements. Washed turf or seed is used to establish grass cover. As the grass roots develop they penetrate through the mesh to form a deep anchored root system and a very stable rootzone. The result is a free draining natural grass surface with no visible structures but with high load bearing capabilities." They also make Netpave 50 which can be used as full time parking lots.

In most places, if ATV's were tearing up the landscape in a game refuge, they would be banned. However this is Alaska and you don't ban ATV's here, you build naturalized roads out of ::Geoblocks. "a series of interlocking, polyethylene paving units designed to provide superior load support and turf protection for emergency and utility access lanes, auxiliary parking, golf cart pathways, trails, and other high-use application areas. "